What exactly does an officiant do?
A Wedding Officiant is the person who stands at the end of the aisle, says a few words, closes with “you may now kiss the bride” gets the marriage licenses signed, and then goes on their merry way, right? Nope! Unfortunately, this is not even close! Most people, as we have found, have no idea how much time is really spent on a wedding and the preparation leading up to it!
The officiant is a busy “behind the scenes” person. They write the ceremony, they meet with the couple, they may provide pre-marital counseling. However, they are probably without you even knowing it, one of the most busy people during the wedding planning stages.
To begin with, the officiant has the initial contact. In our case, this is usually by email, but we put a draft together to contact you initially and see what you are looking for. Or it may be by telephone. Either or, there is the initial contact. This can take anywhere from 10 minutes to several days.
Once the contact is signed and a deposit is rendered, the officiant then meets with the couple to go over what they do and don’t want. This is especially important as it is also a face to face meeting and the couple can get to know them personally. Sometimes this can take as little as an hour, but often times there are two or three meetings before the wedding itself. Those can last up to 3-4 hours depending on wedding size and what the couple is looking for in a personalized ceremony.
Then we have the time leading up to the rehearsal night. (Or wedding day if no rehearsal is required!) This is especially important. During this time the minister/officiant is piecing together a very special ceremony. They are looking through their books, looking on the Internet, and generally contacting the bride and grooma couple of times to come up with the perfect ceremony. This can take many hours before it is finally right.
Then we have the night of the rehearsal. The wedding officiant is usually acting as wedding coordinator. They help assist with who needs to walk and stand where, they deal with children who aren’t sure what’s going on and may act out. They work with the bride and groom to make sure they know their places. They are there for the last minute jitters and to help the couple laugh. It is a very time consuming night, though it seems to go by quickly. If there is no rehearsal, they my be on the phone for an hour or two assisting withlast minute nerves and any last minute questions that always seem to come up!
The day of the wedding is the most important day, of course! The officiant is there early. They help assist guests to where they need to go. They may help the bride deal with last minute questions. They help trackdown the groom who may be knocking down a few with the groomsmen. They help pin corsages and boutoinnieres. They coordinate with the musicians about music before, after, and during the ceremony. They may also work with the wedding coordinator with any last minute changes. And of course, they perform the ceremony itself.
Once the ceremony is done, the officiant signs the license and makes sure the bride, groom, and two witnesses too, to make sure the marriage is legal. This is probably the most important part. They also mail and send in the marriage license so it’s one less thing the couple has to deal with. They do follow up. One of the biggest things for an officiant to do is to follow up with brides. None of us wants bad reviews and we want to know if we did or didn’t live up to expectations. An officiant will ask for references and will ask for a review to be posted on the website. And we always follow up with a congratulatory card and a thank you for allowing us to be a part of your day.
So what may seem like a simple job is in fact a time consuming and thought-provoking task. When you are thinking about importance of a wedding day, the officiant really does set much of the tone. A lot of couples forget and seem to think that the reception is the biggest part of the day; 75% of wedding funds and money goes toward the reception. But when you think about it, and look at it this way, the officiant really is the most important part of the day.
When you think about this financially, people don’t always think about what goes into working on a wedding. They think that they are hiring someone to say a few words, and call it good. Try to open your mind when booking a wedding officiant. Price is important, but so is setting the best possible tone for you and your wedding day!
We were told we would be receiving an official copy from the State of Michigan, but we have not received it yet. Can you tell us what’s going on?
It has only recently come to our attention that due to funding and budget cuts the State of Michigan may no longer be issuing official “fancy” copies of your marriage license. In order to obtain a copy, please contact your local county clerk’s office, or you can visit the State of Michigan’s website for more information located here: http://www.michigan.gov/mdch/0,1607,7-132-4645---,00.html
We apologize for an inconvenience. Please be sure to hang on to the copy that you received the day of your marriage.
Do you require pre-marital counseling or marriage classes?
No, we do NOT! We believe that the heart wants what the heart wants, and we do not or will not make people jump through hurdles to get married. Many of our couples have been living together for years, have come from different faith backgrounds, and we want to work with everyone and not exclude those who truly want to commit.If you are interested in classes, we can gladly recommend a few great sites to choose from.
Do you travel?
Absolutely! For traveling 30-100 miles outside of Grand Rapids, we charge our base price plus a $25 fee.
If we travel outside of a 100 mile radius, there is a premium fee on top of our basic pricing.
Do you require a contract?
Yes we do! This covers you to make sure you have an officiant at your wedding, and that we are not overbooked, underbooked, or have a conflict of interest for legal matters. The contract keeps everything under control and in line.
My sister paid $25 and had a pastor marry her in the backyard. Do you do this?
No, we do not!
If you are looking for a $25 minister, then we are probably not the team for you. We consider ourselves true professionals, and our time is just as valuable to us as yours is. We doubt that the $25 included unlimited phone and email contact, a meet and greet, a personalized wedding ceremony and all the extra bells and whistles that we use to make sure that your wedding day is perfect and complete. If you are looking for a $25 minister, they are out there, but we are not them. At different times of year, we do offer discounts, but our pricing is set up to be very affordable and very workable.
Are you available for a last minute wedding? My minister just bailed on me!
You bet! If we are free, we will gladly fill the spot of the minister who was unable to attend. We do charge a small fee for last minute services, but we do everything in our power to make sure you have the best wedding day possible! You can always call or email to find out if we are available.
Can you meet with us ahead of time?
Definitely! However, If you are wanting to do a "Meet and Greet" with one of our ministers before your wedding, please contact her for a time. Meet and greets are reserved ONLY for those who have signed a contract and/or booked a wedding date. This is not a "try it before you buy it" meeting. Too much time is wasted with non-contracted meet and greets; our time is just as important to us as yours is to you. If you are wanting a pre-contract consultation before booking, please email your preferred minister with a convenient time to do a phone consultation.
Do you have prepared ceremonies available? What about unity ceremonies?
We have put together a special book of ceremonies, vows, and unity ceremonies that can be performed at weddings. Did you know that some churches no longer allow unity candles because of risk of fire? We have alternatives that you can use that are just as beautiful and meaningful. And if you want to write your own vows you can, or you can pick from several traditional ceremonies in my special book that I have available just for this purpose.
How do I book my wedding day?
Visit our “Reserve Your Day” page!
What do I need to do to book my wedding day with A Wedding Minister For You?
To book your wedding day with us, we require a non-refundable 50% down payment. This confirms your wedding date, allows us to guarantee your date, and saves us much trouble in the long run of last minute cancellations and no-call no-shows. We accept PayPal, or check, cash or money order through USPS mail.If we do NOT receive a deposit we can not and will not guarantee your date.
Are you able to do more than one wedding in a day?
Yes! Because there are four of us, we can easily perform up to four weddings in one day. If you see a date and are unsure, please contact us immediately to book your wedding. We will see what we can do for you!
What types of ceremonies do you perform?
We perform all types of ceremonies that fit your needs. Religious, non-denominational, civil ceremony, non-religious, vow renewal, interfaith, etc. Even a theme wedding if your heart desires!
What does your fee cover and what is included?
Please visit our Services page to learn more about our fees and exactly what is included. No matter the size of the wedding, each couple receives equal treatment!
Are you licensed and able to perform weddings?
The State of Michigan does not require a license to perform weddings. You simply must be ordained through a church and be declared ordained clergy or minister. All of us here at A Wedding Minister for You are ordained and are in good standing with our ordaining churches. Please note: if your minister is claiming to be a "licensed minister" think twice before hiring- chances are they are not a true ordained minister as the State does not require and does not have any type of permit to become a "licensed" minister.
How does payment work? When is it expected?
We require 50% down payment to book the date. The remainder is due the day of the wedding.You may also pay in full up front if you so choose.
Please note: we do NOT accept personal checks as a form of payment. Payment must be made with cashier’s check, money order, cash, or via PayPal.
